County Commissioner Applauds Passage of Hall County's Redevelopment Plan

County Commissioner Patrick Bell, who is seeking a second term in District 4, applauded the recent passage of the Gainesville/Hall County Opportunity Gateway Urban Redevelopment Plan, a press release stated.

The Urban Redevelopment Plan (see the PDF file to the right for the full plan) is intended to increase the number of incentives and economic development tools available to encourage investment and job creation in the City of Gainesville and Hall County.

“The creation of a new Opportunity Zone in Hall County is good not only for Gainesville but the entire region,” said Bell. “Forsyth County created the 400 Opportunity Zone two years ago to encourage redevelopment and economic revitalization by extending tax credits to new and existing businesses and it has created an economic boon during a down economy.”

The press release goes on to state that, in 2010, due to the efforts of Commissioner Bell, the Georgia Department of Community Affairs named a portion of north Forsyth County an Opportunity Zone. That area is located along Highway 369 from Highway 9 to Mashburn Drive.

The opportunity zone was established to promote private investment, create jobs and increase Forsyth County’s tax base.

“As a small business owner and advocate, I strongly believe that we should bring the inventory tax exemption to the ballot,” said Bell. “This would provide the capital necessary for local businesses to create jobs and would attract new investment opportunities in our county.”

“In both good and bad economies, local government should always work to pass pro-business policies that create a favorable environment for job creation, business expansion and growth, and local investment," he said.

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